text: it has 12 576 inhabitants january 1 2017 the fortifications of dokkum are well preserved and are known as the bolwerken bulwarks it is the fifth most popular shopping city in friesland it also had the smallest hospital in the netherlands the best known event in dokkum s history is the martyrdom of the anglo saxon missionary saint boniface in 754 oliver of cologne preached the fifth crusade in dokkum in 1214 and dokkum sent a contingent the crescent in the coat of arms of dokkum refers to this event dokkum acquired city rights in 1298 in 1572 dokkum was sacked by the spaniards after it had joined the dutch revolt in 1597 the admiralty of friesland was established in dokkum however it was moved to harlingen in 1645 in 1971 the city was included in the list of dutch urban and village conservation areas in 1923 when catholics in the netherlands were not allowed to engage in public expressions of faith such as processions a processional park was built south east of the city center the boniface park central in the park is the so called brouwersbron the brewers well which titus brandsma and others incorrectly identified as the